Whiskey Lullaby
by Sesshoumaru's Princess
Summary: SONGFIC, AU, SEPHTIFA. What would happen, if the one thing that the Great General Sephiroth cared for most, was lost? This is a story that explores that very possiblity. slight OOC


The characters of Final Fantasy 7 belong not to me, but to SquareEnix, I am just borrowing them.

The song Whiskey Lullaby belongs to Mr. Brad Paisley. I am borrowing it too.

Song lyrics are in _italic_

_>>>>> _separation of song lyrics from story

**Whiskey Lullaby**

_La la la la la la la _

_La la la la la la la..._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

Two people stood underneath a large Weeping Willow tree. The man was tall and dressed in battle gear. He was going off to war. The woman, his wife, had her arms wrapped around his waist, embracing him.

"Come back soon okay? Then we'll start our family." the woman said. The man just smiled and shook his head.

"What?" the woman asked.

"Nothing." the man chuckled. "I gotta go. I love you."

"I love you too." the woman kissed him, then he left.

Six Months Later...

Sephiroth grew more and more impatient the closer he got to Nibelhiem. His plan was to go home & take a shower. Then he was going to go to the flower shop and get Tifa some lilies, her favorite, and surprise her at work. When he arrived home, he got out of the car and walked into his and Tifa's house. It felt so good to be back. He had been Honorably Discharged from the military after the war was over. In the time that he had been at war, he had become a highly feared and respected General. It was his leadership abilities that had won the war. Now he was out and back home. He went to head upstairs when he heard something. It sounded suspiciously like his wife's giggle and a creak. Coming from upstairs. Frowning, he followed the sound, directly to the Master Bedroom. Needless to say, he was very surprised to find it closed. Frowning deeper, he opened it and almost had a heart attack at what he saw. Seven and one-half years in the military and six months in battle would never have been able to prepare him for what he saw. His beautiful chocolate-haired, wine-eyed wife, was in bed with the blonde defect with the brain of a chocobo in a meat grinder, a.k.a. Cloud Strife. They looked at him in absolute horror.

"Sephiroth! I can explain-" Tifa started.

Sephiroth turned around walked out the door, downstairs, and out the front door. Tifa ran after him.

"Sephiroth! Sephiroth please! Let me explain!" Tifa called to him, but he had already taken his motorcycle and was long gone.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_She put him out, like the burning end of a midnight cigarette._

_She broke his heart..._

_He spent his whole life trying to forget..._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

1 ½ years later...

Sephiroth lay on the bed of the hotel room he had been staying ever since he found his wife in bed with his greatest rival, only half conscious. On the bedside table was a half-empty bottle of whiskey, the only alcohol he would drink, and his only companion.. It was only the drink that enabled him to almost forget what happened. Almost.

He had spent the last 1 ½ years in a bar doing the one thing he had always scolded his cadets for: drinking so much he couldn't remember half the things that had happened the previous night. He had seen Tifa following him around a few times, but he didn't care. Let her see what she did to him, let her regret it all. He didn't care about anything anymore anyway.

He slowly lifted a something the same color as his hair, and looked at it in the sunlight, it just about blinding his already enhanced eyesight, that was more so enhanced by the alcohol in his system. Squinting, he studied it. It was a silver bracelet that he had given Tifa on their 6 month anniversary. It had her name on one side, and his on the other. He had gotten it that way, as a symbol of how he always had her back.

Shaking his head at the memory, he started to get angry. Angry at Tifa for what she did to him, angry at Shin-Ra for sending him off to war, angry at himself for going, angry at the world...the world that had made Tifa betray him, by sending him away, and her into the arms of another man. At that thought, he grabbed the bottle and downed the rest of it. Looking around, he spotted a pad of paper and a pen. After writing something in his elegant handwriting, he wrapped the bracelet in the paper and laid down on his bed once again. Clutching the items to his heart, he looked at the sunset. It was the last one he ever saw.

He was dead before midnight.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_We watched him drink his pain away_

_a little at a time,_

_but he never could get drunk enough_

_to get her off his mind_

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

"Sephiroth?" Vincent called, trying to get Sephiroth's attention through the door of his hotel room. It was the first time in 6 months that anyone other than Tifa had spoken to him. She never had much success anyhow.

"Sephiroth?" Vincent called again. Vincent found it odd that his son would not answer. Sephiroth came to him about many things, so for him not to answer, was very strange. Vincent shook his head and tried the doorknob. Much to his surprise, it was unlocked, so Vincent entered in search of his son.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_Until the night..._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

Wide-eyed Vincent stared at the scene before him. "Sephiroth...!"

Sephiroth was laying on the bed on his stomach, face on the pillow. There was an empty whisky bottle on the bed next to him.

Vincent slowly walked over to him, hoping he was still alive, but knowing otherwise. He turned him over and saw the serene look on his face. He hadn't seen that look since before the war sent him away from Tifa. He lightly shook Sephiroth, hoping that it would awaken him, but he never awoke. Reality struck Vincent then. The reality that his only son was lying there, on a hotel room bed, dead. Vincent sat down by his bed then, and hugging him, did something he hadn't done since entering the Turks. Vincent cried.

After about an hour, he composed himself and picked up the receiver of the phone and dialed Reno, one of his subordinates, and a close friend of both Sephiroth's and Vincent's.

"Reno here." Reno answered the phone.

"Hey Reno..." Vincent said.

"Hey Vince! Did you find Seph?"

"Yeah." Vincent turned around and looked at body of his son. "I did"

"Oh no..."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_He put that bottle to his head _

_and pulled the trigger_

_and finally drank away her memory._

_Life is short, _

_but this time it was bigger, than the strength he had to get up off his knees._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

2 weeks later...

Everyone stood around a mound of dirt under a Weeping Willow tree where Sephiroth, the Great General, was now buried. The funeral itself had ended ½ hour ago, but his many mourners and admirers lingered a little bit longer, not wanting to say good-bye quite yet. No one had ever thought that Sephiroth, the Great General of Shin-Ra SOLDIER, would have had his life end in such a way. Everyone thought that it would be in battle. Not by drinking. It seemed impossible to everyone who knew him.

After about 15 minutes of silence, Vincent walked over to Tifa. Tifa was wearing a simple black dress with a black cloak over it, the cloak closed with a simple silver chain. Even when Vincent came near, she never looked away from the spot where her husband was now buried.

"Tifa?" Vincent whispered.

She did not answer him, but he knew she was listening.

Sighing, Vincent continued, reaching into the inside pocket of his red cloak. "Sephiroth was holding onto this with an iron grip. Obviously it meant something to him. I think you should have it."

Tifa took the paper-wrapped treasure and noticed the weight of the object inside. Frowning slightly, she took the paper off of it and the bracelet fell into her hand. She started to cry, realizing what it was she was holding. Then she noticed that there was something written on the paper. In Sephiroth's beautiful handwriting, were the words:

I'll love her till I die.

Tearing, Tifa clutched the bracelet to her heart, in almost the same way Sephiroth had only 2 weeks before, albeit, unknown to her at the time. She feel to her knees weeping.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_We found with his face down in the pillow._

_With a note that said, "I'll love her till I die"._

_And when we buried him beneath the willow,_

_the angels sang a whiskey lullaby._

_La la la la la la la..._

_La la la la la la la..._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

7 years later...

Tifa didn't know it, but she was in the exact same position Sephiroth was in 7 years before. Spending most of the better part of her day in a bar, trying to drink away the guilt. She was blowing the best part of her life and her own bar's money on whiskey and vodka for herself. 'Screw the customers' she thought. 'I need this for myself'

Pouring herself another drink, she once again realized that she did not want to go home that night...she knew _he_ would be there. However, the bartender would always send her home, he never let her stay past closing time, which was fast approaching. Sitting in her stool, she listened to the conversations surrounding her, they seemed so loud for some reason. 'Whatever' she thought.

"Hey, isn't that Tifa Lockheart?" she heard someone ask.

"Yeah, but is she doing here? Doesn't she have her own bar to run?" the person's friend asked.

"You mean you didn't know?" a deep voice joined the other two.

"No...what happened?" the other two gasped.

"Well, it is rumored that about 8 ½ years ago, she had an affair. Her husband drank himself to death over it. She now lives with her lover at her home in Sector 7."

The two original rumormongers shook their heads in sympathy.

"Wow, that really sucks."

"No kidding."

They both looked at the third man. "So," the first one started. "Do you know who her lover is?"

Tifa wondered where this man had gotten all his information from. She made sure that the press was not at Sephiroth's funeral. And no one other than Avalanche knew this much. Then, the third guy answered.

"Yeah, he's my best friend."

Tifa whipped her head around and looked at the man. Standing up rather hastily, she yelled, "Zak!"

Zak looked up at her. Rather guiltily he asked, "What...?"

"How dare you help spread gossip and rumors about me to people you don't even know!" Tifa screeched.

Zak had zero response time before Tifa backhanded him and left the bar. With one hand on his cheek where it stung, he looked towards the exit of the bar and sighed. He really needed to learn to watch his mouth sometimes.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_The rumors flew_

_but nobody knew how much she blamed herself_

_For years and years_

_she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath..._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

As Tifa fled home, the whiskey in her system and the tears that fell down her cheeks made it next to impossible to see where she was headed. Even though it had been 7 years and she had Cloud, she could still not forgive herself for what she had done. She had a feeling that she never would. When she arrived home, she came face-to-face with Cloud, who looked ready to make that evening one she would soon not forget. She looked at him, but she could not get the image of her long-dead husband to disappear. It had now gotten to the point where she could not look at Cloud without seeing Sephiroth. It was killing her now, knowing it was her fault that Sephiroth was no longer here with her. Without looking at Cloud a second longer, she ran upstairs to their room, closed and locked the door. Cloud, not understanding, ran up the stairs after her.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_She finally drank her pain away_

_little at a time,_

_but she never could get drunk enough_

_to get him off her mind..._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

"Tifa? Tifa! Tifa!" Cloud called, trying to get her attention.

Tifa sat on the bed, with the only picture of Sephiroth in the world, his soldier picture. It was the only one, and it was hers. She held the picture in her right hand, and a bottle of whiskey in the other. It was a bottle that she had kept hidden, and never told Cloud about. It was her secret stash, she had hidden it because she made a promise to Cloud that she had stopped drinking after her bar went bankrupt, but then again, she made a promise to Sephiroth to be his, and his alone. Looks like she has a knack for breaking promises, now, it was the thing to help her forget Sephiroth, once and for all.. She stared at the picture. The bottle had been full when she started. The more she stared, the more she drank, and the harder it was to focus. Pretty soon, she had emptied the entire bottle, and she could no longer hear Cloud's frantic voice on the other side of the door. It was just her, and the picture...

"Tifa! Please! Open the door!" Cloud pleaded with the woman. Finally, frantic and scared out of his mind, he ran to the next room and picked up the phone.

"Hello, Vincent? I need you to get over here A.S.A.P. I think something is seriously wrong with Tifa..."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_She put that bottle to her head_

_and pulled the trigger_

_and finally drank away his memory._

_Life is short_

_but this time it was bigger, _

_than the strength she had to get up off her knees..._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

"And why is it you think that?"

"Because, not only was she drinking, she locked me out of our room, and I know she is hitting the bottle she had hidden in the back of the closet." Cloud started to sound desperate.

Vincent sat there silent for a minute. "I'm on my way."

Vincent arrived less than a minute later, then he and Cloud raced upstairs to the Master Bedroom. The door was still locked, but Vincent took care of it simple enough. They then ran inside.

"Tifa! Tifa!" Cloud called. He started to run to the bed, but Vincent stopped him. Looking at Tifa, face-down on the pillows that made up the bed, clutching the picture in one hand, and an empty whiskey bottle in the other, he held Cloud back.

"We're too late Cloud, she's gone..."

Cloud gave him a horrified look. "NO! She can't be!"

Cloud then tried to rush to Tifa's side, but Vincent held him still.

"We are too late Cloud! There is nothing we can do now."

"I know." Cloud calmed down. "But I just can't believe that she would do that to herself..."

"I can, to a point. I just feel bad that we could not help her when she really needed it." Vincent never was good with consolations.

Two weeks later...

Once again, everyone stood under the Weeping Willow tree, only this time around, there were two graves instead of just one. Together at last, as a husband and wife should be, they buried Tifa next to Sephiroth. Everyone just stood there a good hour after the service ended, remembering their dear friends, and that paths that broke them apart and put them back together again.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_We found her with her face down_

_in the pillow,_

_clingin' to his picture for _

_dear life._

_We laid her next to him beneath _

_the willow, _

_while the angels sang a whiskey lullaby._

_La la la la la la la..._

_La la la la la la la..._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

In the other world...

Tifa looked around. When she did a complete circle, she was face-to-face with someone she hadn't seen in over 7 years. Did he still love her as much as she loved him? Could he ever forgive her? Would he take her back? All these thoughts ran around wild in Tifa's head.

"Sephiroth...I'm-" she started to apologize, but was cut off when Sephiroth kissed her.

"No more words are needed. I forgive you my love. I always did, but I couldn't go back. I always loved you Tifa, and I always will. I now have eternity to prove it to you."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_La la la la la la la..._

_La la la la la la la..._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

Tifa then embraced him, crying like she never had before. Her tears were both happy and sad ones. Happy that Sephiroth still loved her, sad at what she had put him through.

Sephiroth lifted her chin with his finger. "This is not a place of tears, so no more."

"But Sephiroth, you forgave me when I deserve anything but that! I don't deserve to be forgiven, especially not by you!" Tifa started crying harder.

"Tifa, I said no more tears." Sephiroth stated firmly. "Though what you said is true, it is only true in the land of the living. Here, there is forgiveness when it is not found there. Besides, we both have something we don't deserve."

Tifa gave him a look that said 'what do you have that you don't deserve?'

Sephiroth looked at her, his face holding mirth at his answer. "I have you."

Tifa's eyes got big. Hugging him, she said, "I love you Sephiroth..."

"I love you too Tifa. Always and forever..."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_La la la la la la la..._

_La la la la la la la..._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

**The End**


End file.
